Spread Group
Spread Group is a German-headquartered print-on-demand platform operating five consumer and merchant brands (Spreadshirt, Spreadshop, Spreadconnect, TeamShirts, Spreadshirt Pro, Berlin Textil) that produce customized apparel across three owned US/European facilities for D2C, B2B, and marketplace partners.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2002
- HeadquartersLeipzig, Germany
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Spread Group does
Spread Group (legal entity: sprd.net AG, headquartered in Leipzig, Germany) is a privately held print-on-demand platform for customized apparel and lifestyle products founded in 2002. The company operates a portfolio of consumer and merchant brands — Spreadshirt (D2C marketplace), Spreadshop (merchant storefronts), Spreadconnect (multi-channel print-on-demand), TeamShirts (group apparel), SpreadLIVE (live commerce), and Spreadshirt Pro (B2B solutions) — and in November 2024 added Berlin Textil for B2B textile services. Its core technology is made-to-order production enabled by Kornit Atlas Max digital direct printing, DTF printing, and premium embroidery across three owned facilities in the United States, Poland, and Czech Republic, allowing 95% of orders to be fulfilled within 48 hours.
Underlying the consumer-facing brands is a platform that integrates natively with Shopify, WooCommerce, TikTok Shop, Squarespace, and Magento, enabling merchants and creators to design, produce, and merchandise customized products without holding inventory. The Spreadshirt marketplace additionally lets independent shop partners and designers monetize designs on demand. Production technology and the on-demand model are positioned as a sustainability differentiator, with a stated commitment to triple sustainability efforts by 2025.
Spread Group generates revenue through three streams: D2C product sales on owned e-commerce platforms, B2B product sales through Spreadshirt Pro and Berlin Textil, and marketplace/partner commissions from shop partners and designers. The go-to-market combines direct-to-consumer acquisition, B2B enterprise sales (e.g., the Pittsburgh Steelers sponsorship announced October 2024), and partner-led growth through e-commerce integrations. In fiscal year 2021 the company reported $206M in revenue, 10.2M items shipped, and 2.6M customers with a workforce of 1,000+ employees from 40 countries. Historical funding includes a $12.74M round led by Accel with Kennet Partners in 2009, and prior acquisitions include Vitrinepix (2014) and LaFraise.com (2006).
Spread Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Spread Group
- Legal name
- sprd.net AG
- Website
- https://spreadgroup.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2002
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- Spread Group is a German-headquartered print-on-demand platform operating five consumer and merchant brands (Spreadshirt, Spreadshop, Spreadconnect, TeamShirts, Spreadshirt Pro, Berlin Textil) that produce customized apparel across three owned US/European facilities for D2C, B2B, and marketplace partners.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Spread Group industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Custom Apparel Manufacturing
- NAICS
- Clothing and Clothing Accessories Merchant Wholesalers (42435)
- SIC
- Wholesale-Apparel, Piece Goods & Notions (5130)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Branded Merchandise & Promotional Apparel Wholesale (CRAOADAI)
Keywords
Where Spread Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Leipzig
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices5 records
Markets served
Spread Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Product Sales (D2C): Direct-to-consumer sales of customized apparel and lifestyle products through owned e-commerce platforms (Spreadshirt, Spreadshop)
- B2B Product Sales: Sales to business customers through Spreadshirt Pro and Berlin Textil brands, enabling businesses to create custom merchandise
- Marketplace/Partner Revenue: Revenue from shop partners and marketplace designers who sell through Spread Group platforms
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Spread Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Spread Group is a global provider of customized apparel and lifestyle products, operating multiple B2B and D2C brands (Spreadshirt, Spreadshop, TeamShirts, Spreadshirt Pro, Berlin Textil, Spreadconnect) that enable customers and partners to design, produce, and market personalized fashion products. The company's core capability is its made-to-order technology that powers personalization and individualization, supported by three owned production facilities that deliver 48-hour fulfillment for 95% of orders.
Product overview
Spread Group operates a platform-plus-modules architecture serving both B2B and D2C markets. The core portfolio includes Spreadshirt (primary D2C marketplace for end consumers), Spreadshop (B2B e-commerce platform for merchants), and Spreadconnect (print-on-demand platform for multi-channel sellers). Supporting brands include TeamShirts (group apparel), SpreadLIVE (live commerce), and Spreadshirt Pro (advanced business solutions). The company differentiates through made-to-order technology enabling personalization, with three owned production facilities ensuring rapid fulfillment. Berlin Textil was acquired to strengthen B2B capabilities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Spreadshirt: Primary print-on-demand platform for customized apparel and lifestyle products serving consumers and businesses
- Spreadshop
- TeamShirts
- SpreadLIVE
- Spreadshirt Pro
- Berlin Textil
- Spreadconnect
Products and services
- Spreadshirt Primary direct-to-consumer (D2C) marketplace for customized apparel and lifestyle products, enabling individual customers to design and purchase personalized fashion items across a broad product catalog.
- Spreadshop B2B e-commerce platform enabling merchants to easily design, produce, and market customized fashion products with integrated print-on-demand fulfillment services and 48-hour fulfillment capabilities.
- Spreadconnect Print-on-demand platform connecting merchants and creators with production facilities, supporting multi-channel selling across major e-commerce platforms including Shopify, WooCommerce, TikTok Shop, Squarespace, and Magento.
- TeamShirts Specialized platform for group and team apparel orders, enabling organizations, clubs, teams, and event organizers to create and distribute custom clothing with group ordering and customization capabilities.
- SpreadLIVE Live commerce feature enabling real-time product customization and purchasing through live streaming events, allowing creators and brands to engage audiences with interactive shopping experiences.
- Spreadshirt Pro Business solutions offering for B2B customers providing advanced features, bulk ordering capabilities, and dedicated support for professional sellers, larger accounts, and enterprise merchandise programs.
- Berlin Textil B2B-focused textile and apparel production brand acquired to expand Spread Group's capabilities in serving business customers with customized apparel solutions, strengthening the company's B2B merchandise offerings.
Quantifiable outcome
- 95% of orders fulfilled within 48 hours
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Spread Group
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Spread Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration6 records
Feature4 records
Spread Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.
- Berlin TextilmajorSpread Group takeover of Berlin Textil in November 2024 to strengthen B2B business operations, expanding capabilities in B2B merchandise solutions
- Pittsburgh SteelersmajorGame-changing sponsorship partnership announced October 2024, representing a major sports league partnership for brand visibility and merchandise opportunities
- ShopifycorePlatform integration enabling Shopify merchants to easily add print-on-demand products to their stores using Spreadshop and Spreadconnect services
- WooCommercecorePlatform integration enabling WooCommerce merchants to sell print-on-demand products through Spread Group's production and fulfillment services
- TikTok ShopcoreIntegration allowing TikTok Shop merchants to offer print-on-demand products to their social commerce audiences
- SquarespacecorePlatform integration for Squarespace users to add print-on-demand merchandise to their websites
- MagentocoreIntegration with Magento e-commerce platform enabling enterprise merchants to offer print-on-demand products
- KornitcoreTechnology partnership for Kornit Atlas Max digital direct printing technology used in Spread Group's production facilities
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Spread Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Bonfire: Bonfire enables groups, schools, and nonprofits to design and sell custom apparel for fundraising. It overlaps with TeamShirts in the group apparel ordering use case.
Direct peers
- Printful: Printful is a leading print-on-demand apparel and lifestyle products platform that serves both D2C customers and merchants via marketplace integrations. It competes most directly with Spread Group across Spreadshirt, Spreadshop, and Spreadconnect.
- Printify: Printify operates an asset-light print-on-demand marketplace connecting merchants with a global network of print providers, with strong Shopify integration. It directly competes with Spread Group's Spreadconnect/Spreadshop merchant offering.
- Redbubble: Redbubble is a global online marketplace where independent artists sell printed apparel and lifestyle products on demand. It mirrors the Spreadshirt marketplace model and competes for both designer supply and consumer demand.
- Custom Ink: Custom Ink provides custom apparel and accessories for groups, teams, and businesses through an online design tool. It is a direct peer to TeamShirts and Spreadshirt Pro in the group/B2B custom apparel segment.
- Zazzle: Zazzle is a print-on-demand marketplace where designers create and sell customized products including apparel. It competes with Spread Group's marketplace and D2C offerings across multiple product categories.
- Spring (Teespring): Spring (formerly Teespring) enables creators and merchants to design, sell, and fulfill custom apparel with print-on-demand production. It competes with Spreadshop and Spreadconnect for merchant-led POD sales.
- CafePress: CafePress is a custom print-on-demand marketplace for apparel, gifts, and lifestyle products. It is a comparable marketplace to Spreadshirt with overlapping product categories.
- Threadless: Threadless is a community-driven custom apparel marketplace where artists submit designs for printing on demand. It mirrors Spread Group's designer marketplace model and competes for both creators and buyers.
Broad incumbents
- Cimpress / Vistaprint: Cimpress, parent of Vistaprint and other brands, operates at scale across custom printing and apparel for SMBs and enterprises. It is a broader incumbent in custom merchandise rather than a focused POD player, but competes for B2B custom apparel spend via Spreadshirt Pro and Berlin Textil.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Spread Group social profiles
Digital presenceSpread Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Spread Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Spread Group subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries5 records
Spread Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Spread Group M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A2 records
Investments1 record
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Spread Group
What does Spread Group do?
Spread Group is a global provider of customized apparel and lifestyle products, operating multiple B2B and D2C brands (Spreadshirt, Spreadshop, TeamShirts, Spreadshirt Pro, Berlin Textil, Spreadconnect) that enable customers and partners to design, produce, and market personalized fashion products. The company's core capability is its made-to-order technology that powers personalization and individualization, supported by three owned production facilities that deliver 48-hour fulfillment for 95% of orders.
Is Spread Group a public or private company?
Spread Group is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Spread Group founded?
Spread Group was founded in 2002. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Spread Group based?
Spread Group is headquartered in Leipzig, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Spread Group make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Product Sales (D2C) is the primary driver. The others are B2B Product Sales and marketplace/Partner Revenue.
Who are Spread Group's main competitors?
Bonfire is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are Printful, Printify, Redbubble, Custom Ink, Zazzle, Spring (Teespring), CafePress and Threadless. Cimpress / Vistaprint is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Spread Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for Spread Group.
What industry is Spread Group in?
Spread Group's product category is Custom Apparel Manufacturing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAOADAI, Branded Merchandise & Promotional Apparel Wholesale. Its NAICS code is 42435 and its SIC code is 5130.